Safety pipe puller



B. C. WHITTAKER'.

SAFETY PIPE FULLER. APPLICATION FILED MAR 22. 1921.

1,485,772. Patented Nov. 14,1922.

gnue ntoz patented Nov. l4, i922,

BERT C. WHIT'I'AKER, OF \R I'NFIELD, KANSAS.

SAFETY PIPE FULLER.

Application filed. March 22, 1921. Serial No. 54,480

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERT C. /VHITTAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winfield, in the county of Cowley, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Pipe Pullers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to pipe or rod pullers, and is adapted particularly for use in pulling pipes or rods from water or oil wells, the primary object of the invention being to provide means of a simple and improved nature for attaching to the pipes or rods and for lifting or elevating them to the surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved grapple means in connection with the puller, by the use of which the pipe or rod may be easily and quickly gripped and securely held in the elevating operation.

A still further object is to provide an improved trip mechanism for the grapple, whereby the latter may be quickly set upon the pipe or rod once the same hasbeen located.

lVith these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pipe or rod puller of my invention, the device being shown in the position it will assume when being lowered into the well or openin Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the device after having been tripped and in engagement with the pipe or rod, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the yoke or frame and the grip lever of the puller.

In the drawings, 4 indicates a frame or yoke constituting a part of the puller. This frame may be made of suitable strong metal, being yoked in the present instance, or of substantially the same shape as a horse-shoe. To one arm of the yoke or frame and substantially one half the distance from the point of the arm to the bight of the frame a lifting chain or cable 5 is attached, an eye bolt being used in the present case for effecting the connection. This cable or chain, it will be understood, is sufficiently strong to support the heavy line of pipe or rod to be drawn from the well.

A grip lever or arm 6 is pivoted upon the frame or yoke f, this lever being of substan tially J-shape, and is pivoted at its short arm or end, as at 7, to the upper surface of the frame near the bight portion of the latter. It will be noted that the lever is connected to the yoke upon the side thereof opposite the connecting point of the lifting chain with the frame. The free end of the lever is slightly upturned as at 8 to enable the said end to pass readily over the stop or locking lug 9 on the end of leg 10 of the frame. The lever is limited in its rearward movement by the upstanding eye bolt to which the supporting chain is attached. The pivotal connection of the lever with the frame is such that a certain amount of play is permitted to the lever, in order that the latter may be passed over the stop or lug 9 when the lever is moving toward the leg 10, the under side of the lever being so inclined as to ride upon the said lug when traveling in the stated direction. The rear edge of the lever provides a sharp or abrupt shoulder as shown, which will engage with the lug 9 and thus limit the rearward movement of the lever after the same has once passed over the lug. The lug or stop thus holds the lever in locked or clamping position.

A rope or cord 11 is connected at its lower end to the arm 10 of the frame midway the ends of the said arm, and is attached at its upper end to the supporting chain or cable 5; the said cord, however, being of greater length than the corresporniling portion of the chain. In effecting the connection between the cord and supporting chain a trip mechanism is employed. This trip mechanism includes a body 12 rigidly attached to the chain or cable 5, in which is pivoted the latch member or trigger 13. This trigger or latch is provided near its outer end with a notch or shoulder 14, adapted when the latch is hanging downwardly to support and hold a fing 15 connected to the cord 11. It will be observed that the ring 15 is attached to the cord 11 at such point that when connected to the trigger, the frame will be held in horizontal position; the weight of the frame being equally borne by the chain and the said cord. A trip cord 16 connects with cord 11 above the point of connection be tween the latch cord and the ring.

In operating the pipe or rod puller, the

cord 11 is moved up until the ring 15 is engaged with the trigger. The trigger is then closed by moving the same inwards towards the body 12. The frame is then supported in horizontal position at the lower end of the lifting chain, and it will be understood that the clamp lever 6 is set by retracting the same to the position shown in Fig. 1. The frame is then lowered into the wall, the chain and latch cord 16 both paying out as the device descends. When the frame reaches the pipe or rod and encircles the same below the upper end thereof the trip cord may be pulled, whereupon the latch lever or trigger 13 will be swun upwardly so as to release the ring 15. By thus releasing the ring, the arm portion 10 of the frame is allowed to drop, assuming the position shown in Fig. 2, and the grip lever 6 will swing downwardly toward the inner edge of the arm 10, passing over lug 9 and latching behind the same. After having been tripped, the frame is drawn upwardly by pulling up upon the supporting chain. This movement will cause the pipe or red to be clamped tightly between the lever 6 and the arm 10 of the frame, and the heavier the pipe or rod the tighter will be the gripping action. To aid in this gripping action, the lower inner edge of the arm 10 and, the upper inner edge of the grip lever may be bevelled as at 17 and 18; the contact surfaces of these portions of the puller being thus sharpened. From the gripping action thus obtained, it is apparent that pipes without collars, enlargements or flanges at their upper ends may be. drawn, as the gripping action is directly upon the surfaces of the pipe or red itself.

Vihile the above is a description of the invention in its preferred embodiment, it is apparent that various changes in the minor details may be resorted to if desired without departing from the invention as defined by the claims.

1 claim:

1. In. a pipe or rod puller, a frame, a cable supporting one side of said frame, a cord attached at one end to the opposite side of said frame, a latch mechanism for connecting the upper end of said cord with said cable whereby said frame will be held in horizontal position, a lever carried by said frame and capable of swinging to gripping position when the frame is tilted, and means for releasing said latch .n'iechanisn'l.

2. In a pipe or rod puller, a frame, a supporting means connected with one side of said frame, a supporting means attached to the opposite side of said frame, a latch mechanism for connecting the two supporting means, a grip lever carried by said frame and adapted to swing to gripping position when the frame is tilted, and means for operating said latch mechanism to detach one supporting means from the other.

3. In a pipe or rod puller, a frame, a supporting means connected with each side of said frame, and a gravity operated grip lever carried by said frame, adapted when one of the supporting means is released to Swing to gripping position.

4. In a pipe or rod puller, a frame, a gravity lever carried by said frame and adapted when the frame is tilted to cooperate with the frame in gripping action, a cable supporting one side of said frame, a cord connecting the other side of the frame with said chain, the connecting cord being of equal length with the corresponding portion of the chain, and latch mechanism, whereby the said cord may be released.

5. In a pipe or rod puller, a frame having a gripping edge, a lever pivoted to said frame and adapted to move towards said gripping edge when the frame is tilted, means for supporting said frame in nongripping position, and means whereby one portion of said frame may be released to gravity.

6. In a pipe or rod puller, a frame having a gripping edge, a lever pivoted to said frame and adapted when the latter is tilted in one direction to move towards said gripping edge, a stop to hold the lever in gripping position, an inclined edge on said lever to ride over said stop in one direction, a shoulder to lock, the lever against revers movement, a cable holding one side of said frame, a cord attached to the other side of said frame, a latch mechanism on said cable including a trigger, a ring on said cord to attach. to said trigger, the said ring being located so as to assume part of the weight of said frame, and a cord attached to said trig ger, whereby the latter may be tripped to release said ring and cord to allow said frame to swing to tilting position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

BERT l'VllllllAKER.

\Vitnesses HUGH C. LoRToN, H. S. \VORTMAN. 

